Manifolding machine



1933- w. G. BORCHERS MANIFOLDING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. 7V. (iborc/zem" I TORNEY Oct. 10, 1933.

w. G. BORCHERS 1,930,447

MANIFOLDING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 10, 1933. w. G. BORCHERS MANIFOLDING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 III!!! III/Ila rlllillll 7 I N V EN TOR. W Qfiordzens' I TORNEY Oct. 10, 1933. w. e. BORCHERS MANIFOLDING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 7V Qfimw/W/J; BY (51% ORNEY Oct. 10, 1933. w o c Rs 1,930,447

MANIFOLDING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 6.

I l ,1 RNEY I 7 Fig. A.

Patented Oct. 10, {933 UNITED STATES MANIFOLDING MACHINE William G. Borchers, Hoboken, N. 1., assignor to Autographic Register Company, Hobokcn, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 16, 1929. Serial No. 363,591

9 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding machines, and more particularly, to the means for handling the forms after they are written upon.

There are three distinct types of manifolding machines in extensive use-- I (l) The straight manifolding machine in which all of the copies are ejected from the machine into position to be severed from the webs after the writing operation; (2) the record-filing machine 1 which is provided with a locked filling compartment for receiving and storing one record copy on top of the other as they are cut one at a time; and (3) a refolding machine in which the record copy is not cut into form lengths, but is caused to refold a zig-zag pile in a record compartment, which is also usually locked.

. It frequently occurs that a user of manifolding machines changes his system so that a different kind of machine is needed, and, heretofore, he has had to discard the machine in use and purchase a new one.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a register structure which may be converted easily from any one of the three types of machines to another, hence making it possible for the user of the machine to keep the machine and merely by adjusting certain parts convert it into the type desired.

As will be understood from above, the custom of having three different types of registers makes it necessary for the manufacturer to carry in stock a large variety of machines and many manufacturing tools to produce such machines. This condition is aggravated by the necessity of carrying in stock various sizes of registers of each type.

With a manifolding register such as herein disclosed and which forms the subject matter of the present invention, the manufacturer is not obliged to carry so many types and styles. This effects a substantial economy. The present invention, therefore, it will be seen, not only provides an advantageous feature from the customer's viewpoint, but also from that of the manufacturer. In carrying out the present invention, in the embodiment thereof at present preferred, the register structure proper is made substantially like that for a record-stacker type of register. That is to say, it is provided with a cut-off mechanism usually employed for the record copy and, according to the present invention, means are provided for rendering this cut-off mechanism inoperative when it is desired that the record copy be refolded in a zig-gag folded pile.

When it is desired to use the register as a straight manifolding machine in which all of the forms are issued from the machine, a suitable guide mechanism is made operative for picking up the leading edges of the forms and delivering them to a point outside of the register from which they may be taken by hand.

Heretofore, in a straight manifolding machine, it was the custom to merely issue the forms so that they could be grasped and severed by hand from the webs along a suitable tear-01f knife. In the device 'of the present invention, however, all the issued forms are severed mechanically from the webs by the cut-off mechanism which is used when the register acts as a record-stacker. In

this case, however, provision is made for causing all of the strips to be operated upon by the cut-off mechanism, while, when the register is used as a record sheet stacker, only the record sheet is in condition to be severed by the cut-off mechanism.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, which show the preferred form of the invention- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a manifolding machine, with the casing partly broken away to show underlying parts.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the feed mechanism and storage compartment of the manifolding machine shown in Fig. 1, the 3'5 machine being conditioned for record-stacking.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the machine conditioned as a straight manifolding machine.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs. 3 and 4, showing the machine conditioned for refolding the record strip.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a cover plate which 9 may be used interchangeably with the cover plates shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the ledger bar.

Referring first to the register structure proper, as provided by the present invention for the sevb? eral purposes, a frame comprising side plates 10 has at its rear or introductory end a supply compartment 11 in which are stored a plurality of strips 12 of forms of indefinite length, usually in a pile produced by zig-zag folding of the strips along perforated lines provided therein at form lengths. From the supply compartment 11, the strips 12 are lead upwardly and forwardly over a platen 13 upon which they rest during the writ-,

ing operation. Here, they are interleaved with transfer or carbon sheets, so that hand-writing performed on the uppermost strip will be duplicated on the copies below it. The strips 12 are fed form lengths by feeding mechanism comprising cooperating rollers 14 and 15, which are caused to rotate by the operation of a crank 16 carried by the machine. The cooperating feed rollers 14 and 15 preferably are of the type shown in the Shoup and Oliver Patent #1,396,070, dated November 8, 1921, and are so arranged that the extent of movement given to the strips at each feeding operation is determined by apertures in the strips, starting mechanism comprising a starting roller 17 and a control pawl 18 being provided for causing the feed to be resumed at the proper time while the rollers 14 and 15 engage the apertures in the forms.

The separate machines for performing the work, which may be accomplished by the single unitary machine of the present invention, differ from each other in the advance of the feed rolls according to the function performed by the machine. For instance, in straight manifolders, the strips 12, after having been written upon, are usually fed out of the machine through an opening slightly in advance of the feed rollers and under a tear-off bar 19 usually forming part of a hood or closure 20 for the upper feed roller 14, so that the written and advanced forms could be torn against the tear-off bar 19 along lines of perforations separating one form from another on each strip.

In the record-stacker type of machine, as well as in the refolder type, all of the strips are not issued, but the front end of the machine is provided with an extension such asthe storage compartment 21 which, in the present instance, has its sides 22 coextensive with the sides 10 of the register proper. This record compartment 21, as shown in the accompanying drawings, comprises an end wall 23 and a cover or door 24 hinged at 25 so that it may be opened to give access to the interior of the storage compartment. In the record-stacker type of machine, the record strip 12a, after having been written and fed a form length, has the written form. severed by cut-off mechanism located directly in advance of the feeding rollers 14 and 15. I

Since the multi-purpose machine of the present invention is adapted to be used for record stacking, it too is provided with suitable cut-oil! mechanism and, in the form of the present invention shown herein, this cut-off mechanism comprises a knife 26 carried in a knife-frame 27 having side flanges 28 provided with guiding slots 29 sliding on pins 30 secured to the side plates 22 of the record compartment. The lower end of the knife frame 27 is connected, as will be later described in detail, to arms 31 secured on a shaft 32 extending across the machine and having at its outer end an arm 33 adapted to be engaged by a pin 34 mounted on a gear 35 carried by the crank 16, see Fig. 2. The pin 33 is so located that at the end of the stroke of the crank in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, the pin engages the arm 33 and rocks the shaft 32 clockwise raising the forward ends of the arms 31. This raises the knife frame 27 and causes the knife 26 to cut through the record strip 12:: while the latter is backed up a ledger bar 36 which has a slot 37 through which the knife 26 may extend after cutting through the record strip 12a.

In order that the record strip may be firmly held while the knife 26 engages the same, the

knife frame 27 is provided with a pair of clamps 38 mounted on plates 39, one located at each side of the knife 26. The plates are normally held in the position shown in Fig. 3 where the clamps 38 extend slightly beyond the edge of the knife 26 by springs 40, each connected at one end to an ear 41 on the knife frame and at its other end to an arm 42 bent outwardly from its plate 39.

When the knife frame 27 is raised, the clamps 38 raise the strip 12a to the ledger bar 36 and securely clamp the strip thereto while the knife 26 continues to pierce the paper and enter the slot 37. To increase the grip between the clamps 38 and the ledger bar, the latter is provided with holes or otherv notches 43 on its under surface, as shown in Figs. 3 and 8. The slot 37 in the ledger bar is normally occupied by a strip 44 which is free to move upon engagement of the end of the knife 26 and heavy. enough to drop .down again and force the paper from the slot should the ends tend to enter the same or remain in it.

The forms thus severed from the record strip 12 fall into the record compartment and ultimately come to rest on a supporting spring 45, as indicated by the pile of record forms 46 shown in Fig. 3. The supporting spring is secured to an end stop 47 by being fastened with the latter to a table or platform 48. This platform is provided with a cross bar 49 to which it is secured and having ends 50 riding in guides 51 secured to the side plates 22. The ends 50 of the bar 49 extend through a slot 52 in an operating plate 53 having a rearwardly extending arm 54 connected by a pin 55 to the upper end of an arm 56 formed integral with the arm 31 secured to the shaft 32. Each operating plate is pro vided with an inwardly extending arm 57 which underlies the rear end of the table 48 and thus the table is supported at one end by the engagement of the ends 50 of the bar 49 in the guides 51 and the arms 57 of the operating plate 53, which itself is supported at one end on the ends 50'of the bar 49 and at the other end by the pin 55 of the arm 56.

Hence, when the shaft 32 is oscillated and the arms 56 move in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3, theoperating plate moves rearwardly until the ends of the slots 52 hit the ends 50 of the bar 49 and push the table 48 rearwardly with them. This movement jogs the table 48 and causes the forms to settle in place on each other with their ends against the end stop 47. On the return stroke of the crank, the operating plate 43 returns forwardly and thus allows the ends 50 of the bar 49 to slide down the inclined guides 51 to their normal position. In doing so, a rubber bumper 58 on the forward end of the table strikes the end wall 23 of the storage compartment 21 and again jogs the table and causes the forms to settle in a pile if they have not already done so.

Should the severed form fail to slide down the top of the inclined pile 46 but have its end protrude substantially therefrom, the forward movement of the record platform 28 will move the end of the form thus suspended against a stop plate 59 whose surface is provided with ratchetlike teeth 60 to catch on to the end of the suspended form and cause that end to be held while the platform 48 is moving rearwardly. This pushes the suspended record form forwardly relative to the pile 46 and will cause it to fall into position to be later jogged in place. The

pIateSQisaecuredtotheknife frame27and reciprocates therewith. This vertical reciprocating movement of the plate also aids in forcing any severed record forms, which may be lagging, into their proper position.

The spring 45 is so made that as the pile 46 increases, the spring is borne downwardly, and thus within the limits for'which the machine is designed, the pile is never supported so high in the storage compartment as to interfere with the free passage of the record strip into it.

To facilitate the separation of the record strip 12a from the issue strips 12b and so that the record strip may be made to pass under the ledger bar 36, the latter is mounted for removal from the machine, so that after the end of the record strip has been passed between the rollers 14 and 15 in loading the machine and is located under the place where the ledger bar normally lies, the latter may be returned to its position in the machine. When mounted in the machine, the end 61 of the ledger bar fits in a cut-out in a plate 62 carried by the side plates 16 and, at the other end, the ledger bar is provided with prongs 63, see Figs. 2 and 6, adapted to extend into perforations provided in one of the side plates 22 of 7 the record compartment. The ledger bar is held in operative position against removal when the door 24 is closed by a lug 64 thereon which engages a pin 65 on the ledger bar, see Figs. 3 and .6.

To further facilitate the separation of the record strip and the issue strips, the present inventlon provides a separator plate 66 hinged at 6'7 in the plates 62. The separator 66 is located in the space between the ledger bar 36 and the tear-off bar 19, and while one portion of it is flat and lies in the plane of the bight of the feed rollers 14 and 15, the other end is inclined upwardly.

The end 68 of the deflector, which is forward of the pivot point 67, is accessible for manual engagement so that, by pressing at this end, the rearward end or horizontal portion of the deflector may be raised, the deflector being notched out at 69 in the immediate vicinities of the feed rollers 14 and 15 and the starting roller 17. When thus raised, the record strip 12a may be placed beneath the deflector and then, after the deflector is released, the issue strips may be placed above it, i. e. between it and the feed rollers 14. Upon being fed, the ends of the issue strips slide up the inclined portion of the deflector and emerge from the machine under the tear-off bar 19, while the record strip 12a is guided between the horizontal portion of the deflector and a supporting plate '70 pivoted at 71 in the plates 62.

While the details of construction of the speciflc embodiment of the invention illustrated are above described, it should be understood that these details are not cardinal factors of the pres-- ent invention, and that for the purposes of the present invention, the cut-off mechanism may have any other desirable or known construction. When using the machine as a refolder, that is to say, to refold the record strip 12a in the storage compartment, the issue strips 12b and the record strip 12a are separated by the deflector 66 in the same manner as when the record stripis cut into form lengths, as above described. However, the cut-off mechanism is rendered inoperative so that the record strip will be left continuous and will not be cut into form lengths. In fact, heretofore, in the refolding type of register, no cuteoff mechanism at all was present.

According to the present invention, however,

since it is desired that a unitary machine may be made to serve both as a record-staclnng machine and as a refolding machine, the present invention provides means for rendering the severing mechanism inoperative when refolding and again 09- erative when record-stacking. This means. in the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, comprises an interruptable connection between the knife frame 27 and its actuating arms 31, the connection being constituted by a pair of pins or rods 72 each slidably mounted in a frame 73 spot-welded or otherwise secured to the knife frame 27, see Figs. 3, 6 and 7. The pins 72 are so located that they may be aligned with apertures or sockets 74 in the operating arms 31 and when brought into alignment with said sockets 74 and allowed to do so," the pins 72 are moved into the sockets 74 by the action of springs 75, one surrounding each pin, so as to couple the knife frame 27 to the actuating arm 31. This is done when it is desired to have the cut-off mechanism operative. To render the cut-off mechanism inoperative, laterally extending ends or handles 76 of the pins are squeezed together by hand to withdraw the ends-of the pins from the socket 74 of the actuating arms against the tension of the springs 75. While the pins are so withdrawn, the knife frame 2'7 maybe swung forwardly to move the pins 72 out of range of the sockets 74, and thus the knife mechanism will be disconnected from the actuating arms until again connected by the placing of the ends of the pins 72 into the sockets 74.

To hold the pins retracted so that they will not project beyond the knife frame or need to be again withdrawn preparatory to placing them in the sockets 74, the frames 73 are provided with stop arms 77 having detent notches 78 into which the handles 76 may extend after the handles have been rocked upwardly while the pins are retracted, the pressure of the springs 75 holding the handles in the detent notches 78 against shifting. Thus, when it is desired to reconnect the. knife frame 27 to the actuating arm 31, it is merely necessary to squeeze the'handles 76 together slightly to free them of the detent notches 78 and rotate the pins slightly so that the handles are clear of the stop arms 77 and align the pins 72 with the sockets 74 in the operating arms 31 and release the handles so that the springs 75 will move the pins into the sockets.

In order to facilitate the refolding of the record strip 12a in the record compartment, the spring 45, which holds the pack 46 of stacked record strip forms in inclined position, may be made inoperative when the machine is to be used as a refolder, and thus allow the pile 79, formed by the zig-zag folded strip 12a, to lie well down in the compartment, as shown in Fig. 5. To thus make the spring 45 inoperative, its end 80 may 35, be passed through a slot 81 in the table 48. The pile 79 is held slightly bowedby a projection 82 formed integral with the end stop 49, and in this condition, refolding of the web is facilitated.

Thus it will be seen that to change the unitary machine of the present invention from a record stacker to a refolder, it is merely necessary to squeeze the handles 76 togetherto release thepins 72 on the knife frame. 27 from the operating arms 31 to render the severing mechanism in- 14 operative and to place the end of the spring 45in the slot 81 of the table 48.

In order to convert the machine into a straight manifolder in which none of the copies is stored in the machine, it is merely necessary to lead all of the strips 12 over the horizontal portion of the deflector plate 66,. so that none of the sheets will enter the record compartment. In this case, the forms which have been written upon and fed from the machine would be severed along the tear-01f bar 19.

However, since the machine of the present invention is provided with cut-01f mechanism, the present invention utilizes this cut-01f mechanism to sever all of the written forms from their strips and avoid the handoperation'of tearing them against the tear-off bar 19.

Consequently, when converting the machine to a straight manifolder, all of the strips are led under the horizontal portion of the deflector 66 so as to be brought under the ledger bar 36 for engagement by the knife 26, which, for this purpose, has its frame 28 connected to the operating arms 31 by the pins 72, as shown in Fig. 4.

To issue the cut-off forms from the machine notwithstanding the fact that they partially enter the record compartment to be cut off, the present invention provides a chute 83 comprising a lower plate 84 and an upper plate 85, the latter being fixed tothe door 24 by posts 86 and the former being supported in operative position by brackets 87 also carried by the door 24. The

- plate 84 has hinge connections 88 .with the brackets 8'7 so that it maybe moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 where its end 89 is close to the stationary plate to the position shown in Fig. '4 where it rests on an ear 90 on the bracket 87 and has its rearward end 89 low enough so that the leading edges 12c'of the strips 12 will engage the plate 84 in advance of the end 87 and not fall downwardly into the record compartment proper. Thus, when the strips 12 are advanced by the feed rollers 14 and 15, the leading edges 12c, if the paper is stiff, engage the plates 85 and are then deflected downwardly against the plate 84, whereupon they are deflected upwardly and are adapted to pass out of the register through a slot 91 provided in the door 24. On the other hand, if the paper is soft and limp, the leading edges will droop and engage the plate 84 directly and be then directed up- .wardly out through the slot 91.

The slot 91 is in such a position that the leading edges 120 of even the shortest form length to be used with the machine will project through the slot in position to be grasped by hand when the feeding operation has been completed; and, at the end of the feeding operation, the strips are severed by the cut-off knife 26 by being pressed and held against the ledger bar 36, and the severed forms protruding through the slot 91 may be g a p d by hand and lifted from the machine without the operator manually performing the operation of tearing off the written forms.

The chute 83, in the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, also comprises a stationary plate 92 which forms in effect a continuation of the pivoted plate 84 and which insures the leading edges 120 of the strips passing through the slot 91 without danger of catching on to any sharp edges, the end 93 of the plate 84 overlapping the leaf spring 95 is'secured to the bracket 8'! and has upwardly.

Thus, to condition the machine as a straight manifolder capable of cutting off all copies, it is merely necessary for the user to determine that the knife frame 27 is connected to the operating arms 31 and thatthe plate 84 is released from the catch spring 95 so as to occupy its lower position, and further, that all of the strips extend under the deflector 66 and the ledger bar 36,.

By having the chute 83 and its appurtenances mounted on the door 24, this mechanism in no way interferes with the removal of the stack. of loose remrd sheets 46 or the refolded stack '79, for, when the door' isswung on its hinge 25, the chute and its parts are moved with the door up out of theway.

Hence it will be seen that the present invention provides a machine which may be easily and quickly converted from a straight manifolder capable of cutting ofl all of the copies to a refolder in which none of the strips is cut oil, or to a record stacker in which the record copy is cut into form lengths by the machine, or from any one of these to any other. Moreover, this may be done without removing any parts from the machine or adding anything thereto, and merely by the adjustment of the parts in the unitary machine by persons of comparatively little skill.

The door 24 may be provided with a window 97 through which the interior of the storage compartment may be viewed.

It should be noted that in its raised position shown in Fig. 5, the plate 84 of the chute 83 serves to deflect the leading edge of the record form downwardly into the record compartment when the machine is used as a record stacking machine and serves to deflect the strip 120 downwardly in the record compartment when the machine is conditioned for refolding.

Since the cardinal feature of the present invention, when the machine is conditioned for straight manifolding and cutting off all the copies, is the delivery of the cut-off copies to the exterior of the machine, notwithstanding the location of the cutoff mechanism and the point of cut-off within the machine, the present invention should not be limited to the form of mechanism employed for the purpose in the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, but other suitable mechanism may be provided for the purpose.

Other variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is:'

1. In a manifolding machine, a platen over which strips are fed; strip feeding means; severing means in advance of the strip feeding means adapted to out said strips into form-lengths after the strips have been fed predetermined amounts; and a curved paper chute guiding the strips through a tortuous path and by the binding action thus produced holding said severed formlengths together and in position to be taken by hand.

- 2. In a manifolding machine, a platen over which strips are fed; strip feeding means; a compartment in the register into which the strips are led; severing means between said strip feeding means and said compartment adapted to cut said strips into form-length after the strips have been fed form-lengths; and means inside said compartment for guiding said strips upwardly through an orifice in the compartment to a position outside said compartment from which they may be taken by hand, after the strips have been cut into form-lengths by said severing means.

3. In a manifolding machine, a platen over which strips are fed; strip feeding means; a compartment in the register into which the strips are led; severing means between said strip feeding means and said compartment adapted to cut said strips into form-lengths after the strips have been fed form-lengths; and a paper chute in said compartment into which the leading edges of the strips extend horizontally when said strips are fed, said paper chute guiding the strips upwardly through an orifice in the compartment to a point outside of said compartment to be manually taken after the operation of said severing means.

4. In a manifolding machine, a platen over which previously folded strips are fed; strip feeding means; and a storage compartment in advance of the strip feeding means, means in said storage compartment for directing one of said strips downwardly into the storage compartment to there be refolded, said storage compartment having a passage to the exterior thereof and said means in the storage compartment being shiftable to a position in which it directs a strip entering the storage compartment through said e to a point outside of the machine.

5. In a manifolding machine, a platen over which previously folded strips are fed; strip feeding means; a storage compartment in advance of saidstrip feeding means and having shiftable means which in one position directs the record strip downwardly in said compartment to facilitate the refolding of the strip and which in another position is adapted to direct all of the strips through an opening in the storage compartment to a point outside of the machine; severing means between the strip-feeding means and the storage compartment, said severing means being operative to cut all of the strips into form-lengths, when it is desired to have all of the strips directed out of the machine by said means in the storage compartment; and means adapted to render the severing means inoperative when said means in the storage compartment is in position to direct the record strip downwardly in the storage compartment to be refolded.

6. In a manifolding machine, a platen over which strips are fed; strip feeding means; a storage compartment in advance of the strip feeding meansinto which a strip may be fed by' said strip feeding means; severing means between the strip feeding means and the storage compartment adapted to cut the record strip into form-lengths, said severing means comprising an actuator and a severing device; common driving means for said strip feeding means and said actuator of the severing means; an interponent between said actuator and said severing device mounted for manual removal from normal operative position so that the strip feedingmeansmaybeoperatedbythecommondriving means without operating the severing device; and resilient means tending to move the interponent to operative position to connect the actuator and the severing device.

I. In a manifolding machine, a platen over which strips 'are fed;. .strip feeding means; a

storage compartment in advance of the strip feeding means into which a strip may be fed by said strip feeding means; severing means between the strip feeding means and the storage compartment adapted to cut the record strip into form-lengths, said severing means comprising an actuator and a severing device; common driving means for said strip feeding means and said actuator of the severing means; an interponent between said actuator and said severing device mounted for manual removal from nor-- mal operative position so that the strip feeding means may be operated by the common driving means without operating the severing device; resilient means tending to move the interponent to operative position to connect the actuator and the severing device; and means for holding said interponent in inoperative position.

8. In a manifolding machine, a platen over which strips are fed; strip feeding means; a storage compartment in advance of the strip feeding means into which a strip may be fed by said strip feeding means; severing means between the strip feeding means and the storage compartment adapted to cut the record strip into form-lengths, said severing means comprising an actuator and a severing device; common driving means for said strip feeding means and said actuator of the severing means; an interponent between said actuator and said severing device mounted for manual removal from normal operative position so that the strip feeding means may be operated by the common driving means without operating the severing device; resilient means tending to move the interponent to operative position to connect the actuator and the severing device; and a finger-piece on said interponent by means of which it may be moved to inoperative position against the tension of said resilient means.

9. In a manifolding machine, a platen over which strips are fed; strip feeding means; a storage compartment in advance of the strip feeding means into which a strip may be fed by said strip feeding means; severing means between the strip feeding means and the storage compartment adapted to cut the record strip into form-lengths, said severing means comprising an actuator and a severing device; common driving means for said strip feeding means and shid actuator of the severing means; an interponent between said actuator and said severing device mounted for manual removal from normal operative position so that the strip feeding means may be operated by the common driving means without operating the severing device; resilient means tending to move the interponent to operative position to connect the actuator and the severing device; a finger-piece on said interponent by means of which it may be moved to inoperative position against the tension of said resilient means; and an abutment adapted to be engaged by the finger-piece on the interponent when the latter is in inoperative position for holding the interponent in said position.

WILLIAM G. BORCHERS. 

